


Vivisect

by solaciolum



Category: Generation X, Marvel
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-22
Updated: 2010-10-22
Packaged: 2017-10-12 20:06:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/128542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solaciolum/pseuds/solaciolum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They knew all the best ways to get under each other's skin. Drabble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vivisect

When Angelo relaxes, his skin does too- it's been years since he gained enough control over his powers to keep his skin in check, but Jono can see it when they're alone together, safe in the shelter of his basement sanctuary. There's an extra looseness to his body, a slight deepening to all of the lines in his hands, his face. When Jono looks, he can find the extra folds in the creases of Angelo's body- elbows, knees, groin, behind his ears, the bottoms of his feet. Two thin parallel lines along his spine, looking like well healed surgical scars. All of that extra skin has to go somewhere when Angelo smooths himself out; he keeps it stretched tight, folded over and tucked away, hidden.

Jono traces the thin line in the crook of Angelo's elbow with his thumb and watches a gray fist clench in reaction.

"Cut that out." Angelo pulls his arm away, but Jono follows it, running his hand from wrist to elbow in silent apology as Angelo's skin tenses and tightens beneath his touch.

It would be easy to mistake it for a scar, just one of the many dark and pale lines on his friend's body, and he touches it again. It reminds him of nothing more than the crack under a doorway: a tiny, secret way _in_. He is caught by the sudden, sick desire to strip Angelo open, exposed, as if by taking the other boy apart, he might understand what it was about him that made Jono want to do so in the first place. He tries to slip a fingernail under the fold, to peel it open.

Angelo moves quickly, wrapping one of his hands around both of Jono's and pinning the other boy down, a heavy weight on top of him, pressing down on the fragile shield of his bandages. Angelo glares at him, but Jono is looking at his hands, at the stretch of Angelo's skin around his wrists, unfolded and spun into the long, unbreakable strands of his fingers.

Another set of long gray fingers touches his face, curling around the strips of black cloth there. Jono's eyes snap up to Angelo's, going wide and white around the edges, as Angelo curls his fingers under the edge of the wrapping, and tugs.

 _Don't_ \- It doesn't matter that Angelo sees him with the wrappings off all the time, or that he hasn't lost control of the fire in over a year. He can still feel the sudden surge of terror, panic tinged with shame- it would be like Gayle all over again, like Paige, and even if Angelo survived, Jono wouldn't, not _again_.

But Angelo doesn't pull the bandages away. He just leaves his fingers tucked under the very edges of them, and curls his lip in a sneer. "Not so fun when someone's doin' it to you, right?" His voice is low and angry. Angelo is always angry, but not like this, never at _him_.

Jono closes his eyes and tries to form an apology in his head, but Angelo untangles himself and is gone before he can say anything.


End file.
